When all else is lost
by DaughteroftheRedKing
Summary: Post KH3D. UA - Universe Alteration - Sora is trying to understand why Xehanort was so intent on having him, and begins to find out things about himself that he never knew before. (Gen, but can be taken as Soriku) Three-shot *Complete!*
1. Chapter 1 - Awakening Ventus

**A/N: I know I'm supposed to be focusing on Symphonia, but this kept bugging me. Eventually I wrote it.**

**Have a three-shot! (probably going to be more eventually, though)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It belongs to Square Enix and Disney (I think)**

* * *

Sora sat in the room Yen Sid had given him, staring out of the window at the sky. The strange pulling within him had started again, and he wished he knew what it was.

"What do you want me to do?" he whispered to himself, brow furrowed.

_'Return...heart...'_

"I don't know what you mean! Return what heart? Where to?" he hissed.

_'Please..'_

The pressure faded and he groaned, laying his head in his palm. Maybe the voice had faded, but the pulling remained, and it constantly got at him day and night. He wasn't able to rest properly anymore, and doubted he would until he found out what the tugging was.

Going silent and listening, he nodded as he realised everyone else was asleep. Getting up, he headed out of his room and down to the bottom of the tower, stepping outside.

Gazing up at the sky, he took a deep breath before summoning his Keyblade. Oathkeeper glittered brightly in his hand, a constant reminder that he had to return to Kairi, that Roxas was still within him, and that he was not a true Keyblade Wielder.

Shaking his head, he raised Oathkeeper to the sky. He focused on the pulling, willing it to lead him to where he needed to go, and slowly a Keyhole began to open up in the sky.

"Where do you think you're going?"

The voice startled him and broke his concentration. He turned back, allowing his hand to drop to his side.

"Riku. What are you doing out so late?" Sora asked.

"I noticed you moving about and whispering to yourself. You've been pretty distant lately, Sora. Not at all yourself," Riku explained.

"I don't even know who I _am _anymore..." Sora murmured, gazing at his Keyblade.

Riku stepped forward, looking concerned. "Sora...You've been like this since that Mark of Mastery exam. Are you mad about not being the Keyblade Master or something? I won't mind if you are," Riku added hurriedly, his expression concerned.

Sora glanced at him, then smiled. "I'm not mad about that Riku. I just.. learnt a lot about myself, and I don't think I've quite adjusted to the information yet, is all."

"Well, do you want to talk about it? That generally seems to help."

Sora shook his head. "Not...not yet. Besides, I have to do something else first."

"Where were you going?" asked Riku, realising he was referring to when he was about to leave.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just following my heart."

"Well...how about I go with you? It'll be safer that way, anyway."

Sora looked at him. "You sure?" he asked uncertainly.

Riku nodded, smiling. "Sure I'm sure. Kairi would be mad at me if I let you go off on another adventure around the worlds alone again, anyway."

Sora gave him a vague smile. "Yeah, I guess that's true," he shrugged, then turned back. "But if you wanna back out at any point, I won't stop you," he added before lifting Oathkeeper again.

"I won't. Trust me," Riku replied, standing beside him.

The Keyhole opened, spreading widely and shining in the dark. Sora gazed at it, uncertainty flickering through him briefly, then gritted his teeth and stepped towards it.

'Whoever you are...I will help you,' he vowed, before the two of them leapt into the portal.

* * *

They stepped out, and Riku looked around in surprise. "Why are we at Castle Oblivion?" he asked.

Sora gazed at it a moment, then shook his head. "I never made it all the way to the top," he said. Riku looked at him in confusion.

"Is that why we're back?" he asked.

"No," Sora replied shortly, then entered through the door. Riku raised his eyebrow then followed as Sora started towards the stairs.

They encountered no one as they climbed, the quietness almost disturbing. Riku glanced around hesitantly, keeping his Keyblade, Way to the Dawn, at the ready.

"Sora, what are we doing here?" Riku asked finally.

Sora shrugged. "Not sure yet," he replied.

"So why didn't we just bring along the others? If we get attacked by something here, we'll be in a lot of trouble."

Sora considered this. "I don't think we'll be attacked," he replied, continuing to climb.

"How can you be so sure?"

"It's what my heart is telling me."

Riku hesitated, then fell silent. They continued to climb in silence, their feet echoing slightly.

Finally they reached a door at the top. Sora hesitated outside of it, his hand outstretched, and Riku glanced at him.

"We don't have to go in if you don't want to," he reminded him.

Sora gave his friend a vague smile. "Actually...I think I kinda do have to," he replied, then pushed the door open before Riku could reply.

They stepped into a white room. It was nothing but white, and in its centre stood a large white chair. Sora walked towards the chair, his heart hammering in his chest.

Walking round to the front of it, he gasped lightly. Riku soon joined him, and stared.

"He looks like Roxas," Riku said, shocked.

Sora gazed at him, a distant memory rising. "...Ventus," he murmured.

"Huh?"

"His name is Ventus. Yeah...we met that man and woman that time, remember? The guy you met on the beach, and the lady with blue hair?"

Riku nodded, remembering. "Yeah, that guy gave me his Keyblade."

"Well, I think this is their friend. Ventus."

"But...what has he got to do with you?" Riku asked.

Sora frowned, then suddenly his expression cleared. "Oh..." he murmured.

"Oh...what?"

"I remember him. He...his heart broke. So I took him into mine."

Riku frowned. "But...when did you do that?"

"Ages ago. You remember that night I cried for no reason?"

"Uh...vaguely."

"Somewhere around then."

Riku gazed at Ventus. "Okay, so? What do we do now?"

Sora lowered his gaze. "Now...I return his heart to him," he replied quietly.

Riku looked up at his resigned tone. "Sora, if this is going to hurt you, don't do it," he said.

"I won't hurt me."

Riku frowned. "Then why..?"

"You'll see," Sora replied with a sad smile. Taking a breath, he reached out and clasped Ventus' hand. "I-I'm returning your heart. Like you asked," he said quietly.

A glow appeared around him, and he closed his eyes as the light spread out. It reached towards Ventus, entering him and lighting him up. The glow faded from Sora, and he opened his eyes to watch the light sink into Ventus before it also faded.

Slowly, the boy blinked his eyes open, looking around blearily. "W-Where..."

"It's okay, don't worry. You're in Castle Oblivion," Sora explained.

Ventus looked at him, frowning, then his expression cleared. "You're the boy who let me stay in your heart..." he murmured.

Sora gave a sad smile, nodding. "That's right. I hope it's been alright in there."

"More than alright. Thank you for letting me stay so long, I didn't realise that...that it would take so long for me to recover. But, um, do you know where Aqua and Terra are?"

Sora shook his head. "I'm sorry, we don't know. Master Yen Sid might, though. Or King Mickey."

"King Mickey? So Mickey's alright!? That's great news!"

"Do you know Mickey?" Riku asked, confused. Ventus glanced at him, nodding.

"We met, ages ago, when Mickey was still an apprentice. We fought Xehanort and Vanitas together."

"Vanitas?"

"My dark side."

At Riku's confused look, Sora elaborated. "Kinda like Roxas."

"Oh...a Nobody, then?"

"What's a Nobody?" asked Ventus.

"It's okay; we'll fill you in later. Let's head back to Master Yen Sid's place then. We wouldn't want to worry everyone."

Ventus gave a nod, allowing Sora to help him up. He was a bit unsteady on his feet, not having moved for several years, but with the two boys' help, they made it back down the long tower.

"Riku, do you think you could make a pathway back to Master Yen Sid's?" Sora asked as they got outside.

"Huh? Um, yeah, sure," Riku replied, summoning his Keyblade and raising it. The Keyhole appeared, and the trio stepped through it.

* * *

It had taken them longer than they realised, and the sun was already rising as they climbed up the stairs to Yen Sid's study. Riku pushed the door open, entering to a cacophony of sound.

"They were just gone! I don't know where-"

"Hey guys," Sora interrupted, and everyone turned. Mickey's eyes widened as he saw the boy between them.

"Ventus?"

"Mickey, long time no see," Ventus greeted with a grin.

Yen Sid stood, his face shocked. "Ventus...but your heart..how..?"

"My heart's been living with Sora for the past few years. He just saw fit to return it."

Yen Sid stroked his beard, nodding thoughtfully. "I thought it was odd that we should have eight Guardians of Light. It would certainly be explained if you were not truly one."

"Guardians of Light? What are they?" asked Riku, confused. Mickey stepped forward.

"The Guardians of Light are seven Keyblade Wielders who use their power to fight for the light and protect Kingdom Hearts, like the seven shards of light that split from Kingdom Hearts when it faded. Of these Guardians of Light, there is, at this time; Aqua, Ventus, me, you, Kairi, Lea and Master Yen Sid. When a Keyblade Weilder dies, a new one is born and trained by the current master or masters."

"But...Sora uses a Keyblade," Goofy said, confused.

Yen Sid looked at the boy. "Sora?" he invited.

Sora gave a vague smile. "You just really want to rub this in, don't you?" he said, before raising his hand. He concentrated, flexing his hand, but nothing happened. There was no flash of light, no sudden appearance of the Keyblade. Sora let his hand drop to his side, shaking his head. "Figured as much..."

"What? Why can't Sora use the Keyblade now?" asked Donald, confused.

Riku's eyes widened as he realised. "You never could," he murmured, attracting everyone's attention.

"But we saw Sora use the Keyblade lotsa times!" Goofy protested.

"No, Riku's right. I...I could never truly use the Keyblade. Because I was linked to those who could, such as Ventus, Riku, Kairi, and I think Vanitas at one point, I was able to use their power to use it but...I was never truly chosen by the Keyblade."

"But what about your Nobody?" Riku asked.

"Roxas was...kind of Ventus. That's why they look so alike. And, because he is a part of Ventus, he's returned to where he belongs." Sora raised a hand to his chest, eyes distant. "I've sheltered many hearts, over many years, but now my heart is the only one that resides here."

_'And it feels empty. Wrong. I don't have any bonds, nothing tying me to them. I'm...alone.'_

* * *

**A/N: Yay for random ideas! I made up a lot of this on the fly, so sorry if it doesn't make much sense... :3**

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2 - Finding Aqua

**A/N: Meant to mention last chappy, but although this is a little bit ridiculous and all theories, I'm not writing it to overpower Sora. I just found the points (Ventus finding Sora in a sea of light, Xehanort certain that Sora was a part of the darkness) a little bit contradictory, and deduced that, hey, Sora is ****_pretty _****special.**

**You'll see why next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own it.**

* * *

Kairi and a few of their other friends had been invited to the official party for Riku's ascension to Keyblade Master, and showed up a little while later. Sora had asked them not to tell anyone else just yet, as he was still coming to terms with it himself, and they agreed.

So Sora found himself sitting in a corner, watching the proceedings with dark eyes.

He was a little scared, actually. He'd spent many years as other people, constantly having their emotions and feelings pounding through him and mixing with his own, and without them, everything seemed...different. He felt less himself, and more like a shadow of what he used to be.

Xehanort believed that he was merely a vessel for darkness, and maybe he was right. He certainly didn't seem to have much else. He knew now the only reason he hadn't been dragged into darkness was because Ventus saved him.

And he was worse than useless, now. Everyone saw him as a hero, even though he knew he wasn't, but now they would have expectations he just couldn't meet. What was he supposed to do now? He supposed he'd just have to return home, settle back into the boring life of a boy in his teenage years once more, and live out the rest of his life like a normal kid.

That was going to be difficult.

"Sora? Are you alright? You've been kind of spacing over here for a little while," Kairi's voice came, and he blinked as he snapped back to reality. He gave her a smile, the best he could muster.

"I'm fine Kairi, really. Just a little worn out, is all."

"Yeah, they said you helped that Ventus guy, right? How did you know where he was?"

"It just...kinda came to, y'know?"

Kairi giggled. "Wow Sora, you really are special. Everything you've done so far...it's amazing."

Sora nodded, his gaze drifting over to Ventus. Something occurred to him, and he stood suddenly.

"Sorry Kairi, I just remembered something I have to do. I may not see you for a while!" he called as he ran off.

"What? Sora, wait!" Kairi called, sighing as he disappeared into the crowd. "Honestly, that boy..." she muttered.

* * *

"Master Yen Sid! Master Yen Sid!" Sora called. The elder man raised his head, looking over at Sora.

"Why Sora, whatever is the matter?" he asked.

"I was wondering...Do you know where Aqua and Terra are?"

Yen Sid gave a sigh. "Alas, I do, and it is not good for either of them."

"What do you mean?"

"Aqua has been trapped in the Realm of Darkness for as long as Ventus has been asleep, and Terra is one of Xehanort's vessels."

Sora bit his lip, considering how to tackle the problem. "Do you think you could send me to the Realm of Darkness?" he asked.

Yen Sid looked at him sharply. "Surely you are not considering going after them.."

"I owe it to Ventus. I've been using his powers for at least ten years now, so I should at least find his friends for him and return them to his side."

"But how would you go between worlds? Even if you were to find them, you could not return them."

Sora nodded slowly, then an idea came to him. Hesitantly looking at Yen Sid, he cleared his throat.

"Um..well, I'm a vessel for darkness too so...do you think you could, y'know, unlock it or something?"

Yen Sid immediately shook his head. "It is far too dangerous. If the darkness were to consume you, then Xehanort would have as much power as he needed..."

"Not the whole way! Just..just enough for me to go between worlds. To create Dark Corridors."

Yen Sid considered, then sighed. "Are you sure you would be able to control it?"

"Yes."

"And  
not allow it to consume you? You must not give into the darkness, Sora, though it may seem to promise power."

"I won't. I promise you, I will never give into the darkness."

Yen Sid eyed him, then nodded. "Very well. I shall unlock it slightly. But do not attempt to tackle more than you are capable of, Sora."

"I won't."

Yen Sid reached out, pressing a hand to Sora's forehead. A dark glow appeared around him briefly, then faded. Sora flexed his hand, feeling the faint power running through him but knowing he mustn't give in to it.

"I have done it. I think it would be wise to inform your friends, at least."

Sora glanced over at the others, where they were laughing and joking with each other, then shook his head. "They'll just try and make me not go, and I've gotta do this. I'm trying to find myself as much as I am Aqua and Terra."

"Very well then. Go, but do not hesitate to return if you feel you need help, whether it be with the darkness within or without."

Sora nodded, raising his hand. The memories Roxas had shared with him flooded through him, and he concentrated on the darkness. A portal appeared, swaying ominously.

"Well, I'll see you, Master. Thank you," he said, bowing briefly before heading through.

"Goodbye, young Sora," Yen Sid replied quietly as the portal shut.

* * *

Sora walked through the portal hesitantly, gazing around. The last time he'd come through one of these, he had watched Axel die. Obviously, that had helped him come back to life, but...it hadn't been the best of experiences. He was still half worried a bunch of Dusks would come out and attack him, but he gave off the aura of someone who belonged in the dark. Hopefully they'd ignore him.

Looking around the exit he needed, he finally spotted it and headed towards it. He stepped through, coming out on the beach he remembered from when he had been Xemnas with Riku.

"Man, it's been a while..." he murmured, looking around. The place had an odd charm to it, despite being made out entirely of darkness. The sea lapping against the sand and wind blowing gently through his hair almost reminded him of home.

Giving a stretch, he looked around.

"First, I need to figure out where Aqua is," he murmured, starting to walk along the beach. A sudden flash of light caught his attention and he turned as a white portal appeared. Squinting, he gazed into the glare, then watched as bounding figure made its way out and towards him.

The portal faded, and the figure quickly became clear.

"Pluto!" Sora cried as the dog ran towards him, bouncing around him for a moment before leaping up and pushing Sora to the sand. Sora laughed, stroking him, then jumped as Pluto lowered something onto his chest.

Gently pushing Pluto off, he sat up, gazing at the object. Lifting it up, it easily opened up into its full form, revealing a black coat and hood.

"An Organization coat..." he murmured. Glancing over at Pluto, he saw a letter stuck in the collar and grabbed it, pulling it out.

Opening it, he quickly read through it.

_'Sora,_

_You left in a hurry, so it didn't occur to me to give this to you until after you had left. It should be helpful to keep you hidden from enemies. Pluto can also help you track down the people you are looking for, and help you fight any enemies you come across._

_Yen Sid.'_

"He always thinks of everything..." Sora murmured, standing up and slipping the jacket on. It fell almost to his feet, showing only a little bit of the soles of his shoes. He pulled on the gloves then reached back, lifting the hood up over his head and shadowing his face from view.

"Come on Pluto. Let's go find Aqua," he said, stroking the dog's head then starting off, Pluto trotting beside him.

* * *

It was coming to the end of the party, but Riku hadn't seen Sora around for a while.

"Hey, Mickey, have you seen Sora?" he asked the nearest person.

"Well, no I haven't. I saw him at the start, but not since," Mickey replied, looking around.

"Oh, I saw him," Kairi said, overhearing.

"Really? Where?"

"A while back. He was sitting by himself, so I went over to talk to him. But he hurried off saying he had to do something and that I may not see him in a while."

"What?!" Riku cried, then gave a frustrated groan. "That idiot, always going off and doing whatever he wants..."

"What is the matter?" asked Yen Sid, coming over. Others were also starting to gather, wondering what the fuss was about.

"Sora's gone missing."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him. He has something he wishes to do, and I do not think it would be wise to stop him."

"What? Wait...you know where he's gone, don't you!"

Yen Sid gave a shrug. "I saw him, a while back, but no, I am not sure where he's gone."

"What do you mean, you're not sure? If he's left, he can't get very far, can he?" Riku demanded.

"Huh? But couldn't he just use the Keyblade to go wherever he wants?" Kairi asked, confused.

"Umm...not exactly. Look, I'll explain later Kairi. Master Yen Sid, do you have _any _idea where Sora went?"

"All I know is that he asked me to release the darkness within him a little bit, so that he could use the Dark Corridors to travel between worlds."

"Darkness?" Ventus asked.

"Yes. Sora is a vessel for darkness."

"But...when I met him, in his heart, I found him in a sea of light," Ventus said, confused.

"Yes...Sora's heart was full of light when I met him, too. That's what drew me to him," Kairi agreed, frowning.

A few other people nodded, looking at Yen Sid for an explanation. The wizened man's eyes had suddenly widened, and he turned, heading for his study.

"But that's impossible...He can't be..." he murmured to himself, shutting the door behind him.

"Well, that doesn't bode well," Lea noted.

"Look, focus guys. How are we supposed to follow Sora?"

"Why don't we just leave him? I'm sure he knows what he's doing," Kairi suggested.

"I'm worried he'll get himself hurt though...he's pretty much defenceless."

"What about his Keyblade?" asked Minnie.

Riku hesitated, so Mickey stepped forward. "Sora doesn't have his Keyblade anymore."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm not a part of his heart anymore," Ventus explained quietly.

Kairi frowned. "So...because you're not in Sora anymore...he can't use the Keyblade?"

"Right. And that means he's vulnerable."

The group shared a glance, then Kairi turned. "Okay then, we better get started," she decided.

"Started doing what?" asked Goofy.

"Looking for Sora, obviously," she replied. "Now come on, hurry up!"

* * *

There was something that he'd noticed about the Realm of Darkness. It never changed, was merely in a constant state of twilight that got him down a little bit after a while. However, Pluto happily played around in the water, splashing it over Sora, and then bounding around Sora's legs until he almost tripped the boy over.

As Sora stopped for a quick rest, he cast his gaze around. He'd only been here once before, but then he'd been with Riku and it hadn't been so bad. Now he only had Pluto, and Pluto wasn't the best conversationalist.

The dog in question was sniffing around some of the rocks, when he suddenly barked, looking over at Sora. Sora stood, crossing over to where Pluto was and kneeling down.

"What's the matter?" he asked, leaning closer to get a better look. Then he blinked. A mass of carvings adorned the back of the rock, a couple with stars on, some stick figures holding hands, and names carved out. 'Ven', 'Terra' and 'Aqua' were three that came up a lot, and guessed that Aqua must have drawn them.

"Good boy. Can you get a scent or anything?" he asked. Pluto sniffed around it, concentrating, then gave a bark and trotted off. Sora grinned and went after him, hoping he would find her soon.

* * *

It had been nearly a week now he guessed, and Sora was starting to lag. He'd hoped - after the first clue - that Aqua was close, but it seemed that it was drawn a long time ago as he was still traipsing through the dreary atmosphere.

Pluto had found a couple more clues, but they'd become less and less frequent as time went by. The drawings grew less, the names fading, and finally he only saw the occasional star that meant she had been there.

Finally he gave a groan, sinking to the floor. Pluto, who had been playing ahead, immediately ran back to his side.

"Man, this is getting tiring..." he murmured, staring up at the dark sky. If only he could just go back home and rest...Then his reason for coming came back to him and he immediately banished the thoughts.

"No...I need to find her, for Ventus' sake," he said strongly, pushing himself up. Pluto gave a bark and leaped ahead again, Sora following slowly behind.

He'd barely taken another five steps when suddenly something leapt at him, pinning him to the ground. A blade pressed against his neck and he stiffened, not fighting despite getting a face full of sand at the moment.

"Who are you? How-how do you know Ven?" the person hissed.

Sora frowned. "My name is Sora. I know Ventus because he's shared my heart for the last few years," he replied quickly as the blade inched closer.

He heard a growling and brought his eyes up slightly, watching Pluto growl at the person.

"Down boy," the person soothed, then turned back to Sora. "Where are you from? Why are you here?"

"I was born on Destiny Islands, and I'm here searching for Aqua."

"And why are you looking for this 'Aqua'?"

"Because I need to take her back to Ventus. He misses her."

The blade slowly drew away, the person relaxing their grip slightly.

"He...misses me?"

Sora pushed himself up, turning his face towards the long haired bluenette. "Yes. He has ever since you were all split up. He's been desperately lonely; it's why he didn't leave my heart for so many years."

Slowly Aqua moved off him, allowing him to sit up again. He pulled the hood back, brushing the sand out of his hair and pulling a face at the sand which had gotten into his mouth.

Aqua stared at him for a moment, then frowned. "You look like Vanitas," she noted.

"Well, Ventus did share my heart ever since it was shattered. Either he made me look like Vanitas, or made Vanitas look like me. But I'm not Vanitas, believe me."

"Why should I? You could just an agent of darkness. You wear the hood of one."

"The Organization? They've been dead for a few months now. Me and my friends defeated them."

"What? How?"

Sora shrugged. "We just fought them, and happened to win. Anyway, you know my friends. Riku, and Kairi?"

"Ah, Kairi...the little girl from Radiant Gardens, right? Yes, she had a great light. I knew she would be a great Guardian of Light, that's why I chose her as one. But Riku..."

"He was on Destiny Islands, with me. I think you came with Terra as well."

"Terra...Oh yes! The boy that Terra passed the Keyblade ability on to... you were the other boy?"

"Right."

Aqua gazed at him. "I do sense a great light within you but...there's also darkness, rivalling the light. They should be battling but they live in harmony, instead...how is that possible?" she murmured, half to herself.

Sora raised an eyebrow, not really understanding any of what she said. "Well, whatever. Will you come with me, Aqua?"

"Hmm? Come where?"

"Well, first I was hoping we could go find Terra. Then I was going to take you back to Ventus."

"Actually...could we go see Ven first?"

"If you go see Ven first, I won't go with you, nor will I meet up with you again. There's nothing to stop you searching for Terra, of course, but you won't be with me while you do it."

Aqua hesitated. She sensed that something was wrong with this boy, a deep pit of loneliness that may consume him was he not careful but...he seemed have great control over it. She doubted he would give in to the darkness.

"Please, I have to see Ven," she murmured.

Sora nodded, standing up. Aqua joined him, and he waved his hand, a Dark Corridor appearing.

"If you keep going forward, it should lead you to Master Yen Sid's tower. If they aren't there anymore, he'll probably direct you."

"Right. Thank you, Sora."

Sora gave a smile, watching as she walked through the portal. It closed behind her, and he looked over at Pluto.

"Alright boy. Where's Xehanort?" he asked, opening another portal. Pluto gave a bark, running into it, and Sora quickly followed him, the portal closing behind them.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, three things.**

**1) I really didn't add much detail in the Aqua-search because, let's be honest, there's only so much you can write about a never ending beach and a whole lot of darkness.**

**2) The likelihood of Sora finding Aqua this easily? *shakes head***

**3) Um...about the whole Pluto-Portal thing...let's pretend Pluto knew where Sora was, and that's why the portal opened up near him, shall we?**

**Hope you enjoyed anyway!**

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3 - Saving Terra

**A/N: Here's the 'overpowered-Sora-but-not-because-he's-awesome' chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I-I think maybe...nope. No, still don't own.**

**Oh, and, super long chapter warning. I mean, first chappy - 2000 words (approx). Second chappy - 3000 words (approx). I'm worried how long this one will be...**

* * *

The group stopped off at another world, asking around for Sora. Riku and Kairi seemed almost desperate, though Ventus was certain Sora could look after himself. Especially as that dog seemed to have disappeared, and may have sneakily found its way to Sora's side.

He gave a wide yawn, lying back and gazing up at the sky. Sighing happily, he closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift off.

Someone touching his arm made him jerk awake, and he briefly gazed into aqua blue eyes before sitting upright.

"Aqua, don't do that!" he protested, then who he was seeing sunk in and he gasped. "Aqua..!" he cried, throwing himself at her. She smiled, hugging him back.

"I missed you Ven," she murmured.

"Me too...I thought I'd never see you again.." he sobbed.

"Well, your friend had a hand in that."

"What? Who?"

"Sora."

"You saw Sora? Where is he?"

"Well, he was in the Realm of Darkness, but he's moved on now, I think. He's looking for Terra."

"Terra..? But why?"

"He said he had to do it for you," Aqua explained, then frowned. "Didn't he tell you?"

Ventus shook his head. "He left without telling anyone where he was going. We've been looking for him, but with no luck. I'm not surprised though, if he went straight to the Realm of Darkness..."

"It's no wonder he didn't want to come back with me then. He's probably avoiding you guys."

"Why?"

"He seems pretty determined to find Terra."

Ventus sighed. "I don't understand why he's so intent on that, though. I never asked him to, and he doesn't really need to."

"I think he feels he owes you."

"For what?"

Aqua shrugged. "We didn't talk long. I wanted to get back and see you."

Ventus sighed, then shook his head. "It's fine. That's more information than we had to go on before, anyway. Now we just need to figure out where Terra is."

"Maybe he's in the Land of Departure?"

"That place doesn't exist anymore. It's called Castle Oblivion now, and it _was _being used by the Organization."

"Oh...then I don't know."

"Hey, Ventus!"

The two of them turned as Riku and Kairi walked up to them.

"No one's seen him here, so we'll go..Oh, hello!" Kairi said with a smile as she spotted Aqua.

Aqua gazed at her, then stood. "You're the girl from Radiant Garden," she murmured.

"Oh, um, yes? Do we..." Kairi began, then gasped. "Oh! You're the pretty lady!"

Aqua smiled. "Why, thank you. My name is Aqua. I'm a friend of Ven's."

"She saw Sora!" Ventus added quickly, standing up.

"What? Where?" asked Riku.

"In the Realm of Darkness," Aqua said. Riku raised his Keyblade, pointing it to the sky, and she quickly lowered it. "I don't think he's there anymore. He wanted to try and find Terra."

"Terra? Oh yeah, the guy that gave me his Keyblade when I promised to.." He trailed off, frowning thoughtfully. "Wow, I haven't really stuck to that promise..."

"What promise?" asked Kairi.

Riku looked at her. "He asked if I had something to protect, and I said that I'd protect Sora. That's why he gave me the power of the Keyblade, so that I'd use it to protect the most precious thing to me - Sora." He frowned. "But since then, I've fought against him, caused him a lot of pain and trouble, made him come chasing after me and lose his memories, hurt his Nobody, then nearly abandoned him when I had to side with the darkness.."

Kairi smiled. "But you did a lot of it to protect him. Don't worry Riku, you're not as bad as you think." She looked over at Aqua. "Do you know where he went?"

Aqua shook her head. "I know he was going after Terra, but that's it. He said he wasn't going to meet up with me again if I chose to go back to Ven."

"What happened to Terra, anyway?" asked Riku.

"He got taken by the darkness," Aqua murmured sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"He was already a part of the darkness, but Xehanort stole his body and locked his heart away."

"So he became like me...a vessel for Xehanort.." Riku murmured.

"Wait, where would Xehanort be then?" Kairi asked.

"Well, he's probably not at Castle Oblivion so..." His eyes widened, and he looked at Kairi, who had reached the same conclusion.

"The World that Never Was!"

* * *

Sora entered the remnant of the fake Kingdom Hearts, heading in deeper and gazing around. Pluto growled softly as he looked around.

"Xehanort! I know you're in here!" Sora called, coming to a halt.

There was a moment of silence, then suddenly darkness gathered in front of him. Pluto backed away a little, his growling growing stronger, but Sora stood his ground.

"What are you doing here, child?" Xehanort asked, gazing at him with golden eyes.

"You have Terra. I want him back."

"And what makes you think I would just hand him over? He has been a very good host for a while now. I have come to like this body."

"What if you found a better host body?" Sora suggested, hating himself for even suggesting it.

"Oh? And who would that be, hmmm?" Xehanort asked, his golden eyes glittering.

Sora swallowed thickly, but refused to back down. Steeling himself, he met Xehanort's gaze.

"Me. Release Terra, let him go back to his friends, and I'll..I'll join you. Willingly."

Xehanort considered this, eyeing Sora. "I suppose that is good enough," he agreed. A dark light appeared around Terra, floating away from him. Slowly his features changed, his skin becoming lighter, the silver hair turning brown and golden eyes also changing to an earthy brown.

Terra stood before him, looking woozy.

"W-What.." he murmured.

"Don't worry. I'm going to send you back to Ventus and Aqua with Pluto, okay?" Sora said gently. Terra gazed at him confused for a moment. Sora smiled, then opened up a Dark Corridor. He looked at Pluto. "Go on boy. Make sure he gets home safely. Take him back to the others."

Pluto gave a whimper, and Sora stroked him affectionately.

"I'll be alright. Just go," he murmured. Pluto padded over to Terra, tugging his trouser leg and pulling him to the portal. Terra stepped through and Pluto glanced back one last time, whining. Sora smiled, shooing him, and he padded through unhappily.

The portal closed, and Sora turned to the dark aura.

"Alright. I'm ready when you are," he said quietly.

There was a deep chuckle, then the aura sunk into him. He gave a gasp as darkness filled him up, struggling briefly before halting it. Slowly his heart was locked, his mind fading as Xehanort took it over.

Xehanort raised his head, gazing around with golden eyes. He smiled, flexing his hands.

"Yes...this body will do nicely," he murmured with a cruel chuckle.

* * *

The group were just hurrying up the castle tower when a Dark Corridor opened in front of them. Stopping, weapons raised, they gazed into it.

"Sora? Is that you?" Riku called.

There was nothing for a moment, then a tall figure came stumbling out, Pluto beside him. The Dark Corridor closed as he left, and Aqua and Ventus gasped, running forward.

"Terra!"

Terra raised his head groggily, smiling as he spotted them. "Aqua...Ven.." he murmured, allowing them to support him.

"What happened? Where's Sora?" asked Ventus.

"Sora..? Is that that boy? He...said he'd give himself up to Xehanort..if he let me go..."

Kairi gasped, tears entering her eyes as Riku's eyes narrowed.

"Come on Kairi. We've got to go stop him," he said strongly. Kairi nodded, turning and starting to run.

"Stop who?" a voice asked, and they turned as another Dark Corridor opened. A figure stepped out, clothed in black but with the hood turned down. Black hair and gold eyes gazed at them, a smirk on his lips.

Riku hesitantly stepped forward. "Sora?" he asked.

"Sora? Oh yes, I remember him. I'm sorry, he's not here right now. He never will be again."

Terra's eyes widened, then he turned. "Get back!" he shouted. The two kids obeyed his order, leaping back just as the attack hit the floor. The darkness sunk into the ground, swirling ominously for a moment before fading.

"He's been taken by the darkness. He probably can't hear you anymore," Aqua said, a little sadly, as she summoned her Keyblade. Ventus copied her, as did Kairi and Riku.

"Well well, four Guardians of Light, all together in one place, hmm? Almost makes me wish I still had all thirteen of my vessels of darkness... but I suppose this one will have to do."

"Give Sora back!" yelled Kairi.

"'Sora' doesn't exist anymore, child."

"What?" Kairi faltered.

"Ignore him, Kairi! He's just messing with your head!" Riku called to her.

"Am I? Your friend has been completely taken by the darkness. He has lived his life as other people, not himself. There was no longer enough of himself to truly support him, and he easily gave in to my power. 'Sora' may have been dead for several years now."

"But...how..?"

"Why don't you ask yourselves? You're the ones who shared his heart, took what little space he had within and made it your homes. The ones who threw him aside so that you could live on, then left when he needed you to stay."

Ventus hesitated, then shook his head. "Sora gave us our hearts back willingly," he said strongly.

"Maybe, but only because you were bugging him about it. And let's be frank, _Ventus_, you took everything from him. He'd grown up partly as you, and yet you left, taking not only yourself, but the bond with his Nobody and the puppet with you. He'd become reliant on the hearts within his heart, and you all stole it away from him. Is it any wonder that he turned to darkness?"

"He didn't turn to darkness!" Riku yelled.

"And yet he was using it to move between worlds."

"Because he couldn't use the Keyblade!"

"And why was that? Because you stole his power. The only thing that made him useful." The figure turned their gaze towards Ventus. "Ultimately though, it is your fault. You lived within him to the point he practically became you, used your power and gained a new destiny, and then you left him without a thought, dooming him to his old one; to become a vessel for darkness."

Ventus cast his gaze to the ground, nodding. "I know," he murmured.

"Don't listen to him Ven, it's not your fault," Aqua said, grasping his shoulder.

"But..it is. If I...if I hadn't..."

"Believe me Ven, it isn't your fault. It's mine, for not stopping him when he gave himself up to the darkness," Terra interrupted.

The figure gazed at the three of them, a frown slowly creasing his forehead.

"You're supposed to be happy!" he suddenly yelled, his voice different from before.

The group looked up in surprise. "S-Sora?" Ventus asked.

"You've wanted to see each other for years, right? Now you're back together, and all you can do is blame yourselves. It's not your fault!" The figure grinned, a familiar grin that made Ventus' heart clench. "Come on, I went through a lot of trouble to get you three back together. Be happy at least!"

"Sora-" Riku began, stepping towards him, then suddenly an attack came shooting down. Riku leapt out of the way, only just dodging the attack.

"Brat...but no matter. He's gone now." The voice had changed again, gone back to the cruel, hard voice, and Riku felt his hopes fall again.

"Sora, please, listen to us!" cried Kairi, squealing as she leapt back from another attack.

Attack after attack came raining down, forcing the group to dodge each one. They couldn't get close to the figure at all, and their shouts only made them a target.

A Keyhole opened up behind them and they looked back as several people came running through.

"We heard you'd found Sora and came as soon as we could!" Mickey called, running up to join them. Lea, Donald and Goofy also ran up, standing with the group.

"Sora. You said you wouldn't be overtaken by the darkness," Yen Sid's voice rang out.

"He hasn't. He just gave himself up to me to save that Terra kid," the figure replied.

"Please Sora, please! Just fight it!" Kairi cried again.

"Will you please just shut up with your insistent whining!" the figure snarled, sending an attack flying at her. She gave a scream, raising her Keyblade in front of her despite how ineffective it would be.

The figure's eyes widened briefly, then suddenly they jerked their hand away. The attack flew off course, hitting a wall.

Everyone went quiet, staring at the figure. Then Riku took a step forward.

"Sora's still in there, I know he is. I don't care if you say he doesn't have enough of himself to be there, he's fighting you and that means he's strong enough to be himself."

"You are basing this purely on speculation," the figure replied calmly.

"Maybe, but I can think of a way to get rid of you," Riku said.

"Oh? And how, pray tell, will you do that?"

Riku gazed at the others, who nodded. They summoned their Keyblades, raising them so that they were facing the figure. Riku gazed at him a moment then also raised his, and light gathered on the tips of each Keyblade before shooting out.

The figure barely managed to give an angry shout before the light hit him. For a moment it struggled, then it shot out the other end, dragging the dark aura with it.

Sora fell to his knees, panting, and Riku ran over.

"Sora, are you alright?" he asked, checking his friend over.

"I'm fine..." Sora replied, though his body was shivering. He gritted his teeth, giving a growl.

"What's wrong? Sora, tell me, is some of him still inside you?" asked Riku worriedly.

"N-No..the darkness is...all mine.." Sora replied in a strained voice, arm twitching slightly.

The others hurried over, surrounding him. Yen Sid bent down, placing a hand on his forehead, then gasped.

"His darkness has been unlocked...Everyone, get back. There is no telling what may happen," he ordered. Everybody stepped back, a few more hesitantly than others.

Sora gave a cry, curling in on himself, and Riku nearly took a step forward. "Sora! What's the matter?!" he cried worriedly.

Sora didn't reply, but waves of darkness began to flow from him, surrounding him. He gave a stifled cry, hugging himself tighter, eyes screwed tight.

"HAHAHAHAHA! You fools! He has already succumbed to the darkness!" cried the dark aura, then flew towards him, intent on taking over him again.

"No! Sora!" cried Riku and Kairi, stepping forward.

Just as the aura was about to touch him, light suddenly burst from him. The aura drew back with a cry, recoiling from the light.

Sora cried out again as the light extended, rippling through the darkness. Everyone backed away, eyes widening.

"H-How.." gasped Aqua.

The light and darkness slowed slightly, shimmering but not with the same force as before. Slowly, the group straightened, gazing at Sora hesitantly.

Riku stepped forward, despite the others' warnings, and approached Sora.

"Sora, are you okay?" he asked, laying a hand on Sora's shoulder. He was still shivering, and Riku's expression softened. He reached down, helping Sora up. "Come on, let's get you back home," he murmured. Sora raised his head, gazing at Riku with dazed eyes.

"...Riku?"

"That's right," Riku replied, starting to walk back towards the others and ignoring the waves of light and darkness that alternately made their way over his body. The others stepped back slightly as he approached.

"Can one of you make a Keyhole? Anywhere, really, just somewhere Sora can rest," he said.

Ventus glanced at Riku, catching his eye, and Riku gave a nod. Ventus raised his Keyblade, pointing it to the sky, and a Keyhole appeared. Riku and Sora stepped through first, then everyone else filed in after them, it closing behind Ventus, and leaving the dark aura that was Xehanort behind.

* * *

Riku gently lowered Sora onto the chair that Ventus had previously occupied for so long, and sat back on his heels, gazing into his friend's hazy gaze.

"Sora?" he called. Slowly, Sora's eyes swept up to gaze at Riku's. "Listen to me Sora. Focus. Do you know who you are?"

"...Sora."

"Good. Do you know who I am?"

"Riku."

"Can you name anyone else here?" Riku asked, motioning to the others.

Sora looked up at them, his heavy lidded gaze sweeping over them. It settled on Ventus, clearing slightly.

"Ventus," he said. Then, glancing beside him, he smiled slightly. "Kairi," he added.

"Anyone else?" Riku prompted. Sora frowned slightly, then shook his head, looking disappointed. "It's alright. Now, do you know what this is?" Riku asked, lifting his hand. His Keyblade appeared. Sora gazed at it, then suddenly blinked.

"Keyblade," he murmured, gently taking it from Riku's grasp. Riku let him have it, frowning.

The light and dark began to flood down the blade, lighting it up. Riku backed away a little, everyone watching warily.

"Keyblade...and χ-blade," Sora murmured, and suddenly the blade seemed to explode with light. The group gave a yell, covering their eyes as the light practically blinded them. Slowly, it began to fade, and they turned back before staring.

What Sora held in his hand was no longer Riku's Keyblade, but rather, the χ-blade. It shone brightly in his grip, and was long, thrumming with power.

Riku hesitantly flexed his hand and was reassured when his Keyblade appeared. Looking back at Sora, he frowned.

"But...how is that possible? How can Sora have the χ-blade when he's a vessel of darkness?"

"Because he is not a true vessel of darkness," Yen Sid replied, and everyone looked at him.

"What do you mean?" asked Aqua.

"Yeah, Xehanort seemed pretty convinced he was," Terra agreed.

"You were not there, but some of you may remember a while back, when both Ventus and Kairi said that Sora's heart was like a sea of light. And yet, there was a definite darkness within him, one that had been locked away and buried deeply within him when Ventus joined with his heart. Maybe Sora was always destined to be able to wield the χ-blade, or maybe that ability was left behind by Ventus; but for whatever reason, it quickly became apparent to me that Sora is the wielder of the χ-blade."

"Then...why didn't the Keyblade choose him?" asked Riku.

"Because the χ-blade is much purer than the Keyblade, a person who wields it should be unable to use the Keyblade. Obviously, Sora's circumstances were rather...unique, but the principle remains the same."

"Then that means that Ventus could never make the χ-blade, right? Because he uses the Keyblade," Aqua pointed out.

Yen Sid nodded. "Exactly. Xehanort was doomed to fail from the start." He gazed at Sora, frowning. "However, this is not news that we can just allow to seep out. We must keep it a secret, lest Xehanort learn of it and target Sora again."

The group nodded, glancing at Sora who was still gazing at the χ-blade. Riku walked back over, kneeling in front of him.

"Alright Sora, are you going put that away?" he asked gently.

Sora hesitated, then nodded. The χ-blade vanished, and Sora gazed at the little bits of light that were left behind for a moment. Then his eyes slid shut and he fell forward, crashing into Riku and sending both of them falling to the floor.

"Sora?" Riku asked, trying to prop him up. A light snore answered his question, and he sighed. "Guys, little help please?" he asked to the others. Kairi gave a giggle before they headed forward, picking Sora off.

"Is he okay?" Kairi asked when Sora didn't wake at all.

"He's merely exhausted himself. If this place is safe, it would be better if we remain here until Sora awakens," Yen Sid replied.

"Yeah, it's safe. I slept here for a long, long time, and nobody ever found me," Ventus replied, settling Sora on the seat. Riku grimaced at how much like Ventus Sora looked, and picked himself up, sitting down beside Sora. He motioned to the other side for Kairi, and she gave a nod before cuddling in the last little space, her head resting on his shoulder. Riku placed an arm around both of them, feeling Sora's head come to rest on his shoulder, and smiled gently before also closing his eyes.

* * *

**A/N: You gotta love the cuddles. Anyways, yes, Sora is the weilder of the χ-blade. For whatever reason.**

**There may be another bit to conclude or something. In fact, this may become super long. Or, it may remain like this, ending as a lonely three-shot. What do you think? Do you want me to continue, or shall I just leave it here?**

**Thoughts and review?**


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